Elio Sandri, at his Cascina Disa in Perno, is an artisan producer of Barolo, Nebbiolo, and Barbera.
My first visit to Elio's was in September 2019, shortly before the harvest began. We are in Perno, a hamlet of the municipality of Monforte d'Alba, overlooking the final part of the ridge that gently slopes down from Serralunga d'Alba towards Alba. The vineyards are all around the winery, and the vineyard is truly the primary value of this estate. Elio is meticulous about every manual operation, when, where, and how to perform it. There are no identical operations year after year; the vineyard must be understood, just as each vintage must be interpreted, and consequently, the operations must be carried out with different timings and methodologies.
Perno is a vast sub-zone of Monforte, the third largest in the entire Barolo area, bordering Bussia and Rocche di Castiglione to the north, and Castelletto and Gramolere to the south. It is possible to divide this sub-zone into more delineated parcels, and Disa is undoubtedly the most important and suitable.
Within Disa, Elio cultivates Nebbiolo grapes for Barolo, Nebbiolo for Langhe production, and Barbera. He also owns a small vineyard in Ceretta, which is also part of the Perno MGA (not to be confused with Cerretta in Serralunga).
Elio's approach to vineyard work is entirely natural: no herbicides, chemical fertilizers, or any other product that might disrupt the balance between the vine and the soil are used. As you can see from the photos, his rows are completely grassed over, and during the growing season, Elio performs treatments using only copper and sulfur with the sole purpose of protecting the plant and not disturbing its natural course.
Then comes the winemaking process in the cellar: during the fermentation phase, the wines are placed in concrete tanks, and no selected yeasts are added; this is how Elio expresses territorial wines. I like to say that his wines are vivid, true, and sincere.
Each vintage is interpreted, and there is no standardization during the aging period in the cellar. All wines are aged in large barrels, but the time they spend in wood varies depending on the vintage.
Even in Barolo Perno Riserva, the time spent in barrels often varies according to the vintage: obviously, the minimum is 18 months, but no maximum limit for aging in wood is set, as the aim is always to preserve both the integrity of the fruit and the quality of its longevity. Time, that is the central theme of Elio's work. The wine must be waited for and respected, understood and exalted.
Go visit Elio, it will be one of the most beautiful experiences you can have. He will be able to draw you into his world, into his way of understanding the vineyard and wine.
